


Chivalry is Dead

by ScribeWire



Series: New Voyage [6]
Category: One Piece
Genre: BAMF Sabo (One Piece), Sabo (One Piece) is a Little Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29396019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribeWire/pseuds/ScribeWire
Summary: The incident that leads to Sabo's epithet: 'The Bloody Gentleman'
Relationships: Koala & Sabo (One Piece)
Series: New Voyage [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820035
Comments: 7
Kudos: 94





	Chivalry is Dead

**Author's Note:**

> This is not nearly as long as I had intended it to be but it was so hard to write. I wrote and re-wrote this 3-4 times before I was even a little satisfied. I'm still kind of not but I really want to share it. This is different in that it is written almost entirely from the viewpoint of an unnamed character. This person is unimportant except to give a different viewpoint to this than I would otherwise get. AKA: Sabo wasn't cooperating with me.
> 
> I think there was someone in the comments who requested the story behind Sabo's epithet in this series, but I haven't had the time (or motivation) to go back through and find it. Once I do, I will credit you! Have no fear. (It just might take me a while....)
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

He is going to die.

Not even through his first week on the job, and he is going to die. There is no way out. Because even if the man currently stalking him doesn’t kill him, his employers will when they find out he didn’t stand and fight.

All he needed was decent money to feed his family and this is what he gets.

He knew he should have taken the fairgrounds job. But the auction house pays more and……

Greed is going to be his undoing.

He can’t tell if anyone else is still in the building – is still _alive_. The man dogging his steps – even now, just far enough behind to be out of sight but not out of mind…or hearing – is relentless. He has been prowling through the auction house methodically. Every cell door opened, every collar unlocked, every jailor dead.

He is sure he is the last and, sooner rather than later, there will be nowhere left for him to run.

When the dead-end finally comes, he can do nothing but wait for the man to catch up.

He is tall. Not the tallest he’s ever seen considering where he’s been working for the past week, but still tall. Blonde, even if he can only see a few strands sticking out from under his hat – a hat he keeps tilted just enough to keep most of his face hidden in the shadows cast by the brim.

It does nothing to hide the smile.

When the man first showed up, he thought he was a noble. He certainly dresses like one. Well made clothes with slacks, dress shirt topped with a vest and cravat, a long coat, top hat, and top tier boots. His appearance alone had Management practically drooling as they tried to show off their wares.

If he manages the impossible and survives this, he’s going to have nightmares about that damn pipe for the rest of his life. He’s going to have nightmares about that damn smile too.

Management is dead now, right along with the rest of the jailors. And now it is his turn.

He instinctively closes his eyes as the man rounds the corner and does nothing but listen as he approaches.

“Excuse me, sir! But can you deliver a message for me? I know that isn’t your job but…well…there isn’t anyone else around to help me.” The man’s voice is bright and cheerful and _polite_ , like they are just strangers on the street – as if he isn’t the reason there is only one person left in the building.

His eyes pop open to meet the amused face of a young man. The smile this time is almost friendly instead of menacing. _Almost_. Almost because his dark eyes make it clear the smile is anything _but_.

He gulps and before he knows what he’s doing he’s nodding emphatically, because if this man wants him to deliver a message it means he’ll get out of this alive. He hopes. At the very least, it guarantees a swift death by the hands of his employers instead of whatever this man did to warrant all the screaming earlier. Which draws his attention to how eerily quiet the entire building is.

“Excellent! Make sure the highest-ranking person you can find gets this!” A letter is pressed into his hands. The man makes sure to hold them for a second as he smiles one last time, this time not hiding how _cold_ it is. “Sorry to bother you! Have a nice rest of your day.”

He can only watch as the man spins around and strides away, whistling a jaunty tune as he twirls that damn pipe carelessly. The man himself is spotless. The pipe is covered in……he doesn’t want to think about it. But while the pipe is filthy, the man is clean.

He doesn’t move until the Marines show up and escort him out, letter clutched tightly in his hand, unwilling to fail in this.

He is surprised when Vice-Admiral Garp shows up on the scene. But who better to deliver the letter to? The only ones higher than the Vice-Admiral are the Admirals, and the Fleet Admiral and there’s no way someone like him will ever meet someone like them. He is not a Marine and this might not be what the man wants or intends for him to do, but this man outranks his employer. Numbness overtakes him as he strides up to the legendary Marine and hands over the now crumpled piece of paper. The Vice-Admiral, thankfully, doesn’t question him. Just takes the letter and reads it right there before nodding his thanks and striding away.

His ordeal is finally over.

* * *

Sabo smiles as he looks at the paper and the wanted poster inside. The picture is perfect if he says so himself. Considering he had Hak take it specifically to give to the marines. The epithet though? That’s all them. But Sabo can’t help but enjoy it.

**_‘The Bloody Gentleman’_ **

He always enjoys mocking the nobility, and this time he didn’t even try it.

“You are a child.” Sabo only grins at Koala as she stops with her hands on her hips and a lecture likely waiting on her tongue.

“You should be happy! That was a slave auction house, you know.” He knows she knows. She’s the one who pointed it out to him. Their crew has a special… _fondness_ for the slave market. He’s sure it has _nothing_ to do with most of his crew having history of some kind with them. Definitely not.

“You were upset that Ace had a higher bounty than you.” Sabo immediately pouts because… well, he can’t argue with the truth. Not to Koala.

“My picture was atrocious, and my bounty was insulting.” Which are both true. Except that Sabo has never cared much about either of those things beyond a surface annoyance because he has always been the subtle brother.

Koala’s narrow eyes tell him she knows there is far more to his actions than that. For once, she foregoes the lecture and leaves him to bask in his glory with only a few words muttered under her breath.

There are some threats Sabo can’t just let go.

Even if it means potentially putting Garp on his trail.

Because it means Garp will also be aware of the threats.

Sabo is the subtle brother. Afterall, his poster is **_just_** his epithet.

**Author's Note:**

> AKA: Sabo destroys a slave auction house to hand deliver his new bounty poster picture and get them to raise his bounty but also for reasons. :)
> 
> (Don't forget to leave feedback about what could be done better please! I love hearing what you guys like but I also like hearing the why's. Especially if it's about something that bothers you!)


End file.
